Knitting machine needle



H. c. NOE 2,685,787

KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE Filed Jan. 10, 1952 Aug. 10, 1954 11m will]! IN VEN TOR.

flarola C/voe ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE Application January 10, 1952, Serial No. 265,828

6 Claims. (01. 66121) The present invention relates to knitting machine needles of the type formed of metal wire stock, and, more particularly, to improvements in the hook section of such needles.

. Heretofore it has been customary to form knitting machine needles of wire stock with a hook section of substantially uniform cross-section from adjacent the point of the hook to adjacent the shank and with a flattened shank of about the same width as the hook section to facilitate arranging the needles side by side in compact relationship. In the course of knitting with such needles, the tension in the yarn placed a strain on the needles, which strain, if excessive, tended to break the needles at a point between the midpoint of the bend of the hook and the shank.

It was found that, in high speed knitting machines and/or in knitting machines where the yarn is supplied to the knitting elements under considerable tension, excessive strains are devoloped which cause frequent needle breakage. Such frequently occurring needle breakage is highly objectionable because each time a needle is broken the machine must be shut down to enable the broken needle to be replaced. The shutting down of the machine is highly objectionable since it lowers its overall eiliciency and greatly reduces its output.

In many instances, it was sought to avoid needle breakage by running the machine at less than its maximum speed thereby sacrificing the production capacity of the machine. In other instances, complicated and expensive yarn tension and let-off control devices were resorted to in an attempt to prevent the development of excessive yarn tensions in high speed machines. Such special apparatus increases the initial and maintenance costs of the knitting machines which of course lowers the economy at which the machines could be operated.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages by providing knitting needles having an improved hook section.

Another object is to provide such knitting needles which are simple and economical in construction and do not increase the initial cost of the needle bed.

Another object is to provide such knitting needles which are practically unbreakable even when subjected to exceedingly high yarn tension.

A further object is to provide such needles which facilitate high speed operation of the macan be operated at their maximum speed to take advantage of their full production capacity.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with the invention, it has been found that the foregoing objects can be accom plished by providing a knitting machine needle formed of metallic wire stock tapered at one end thereof, which needle comprises a shank, a pointed hook which progressively decreases in cross-sectional area from the shank towards the point and is formed by bending the tapered end of the stock upon itself, and flattened parallel side faces on the shank extending substantially to or beyond the midpoint of the bend of the hook. Preferably, the width of the needle in the region of the side faces is substantially equal to the width of the hook portion adjacent the point thereof, and the cross-sectional area of the hook in the region between the midpoint of the bend of the hook and the portion of the hook adjacent the shank is at least approximately twice that of the hook portion adjacent the point thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of a latch needle embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 on Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown a portion of a knitting machine needle formed of metallic wire stock of suitable dimensions to provide a shank ID at one end and having a substantially conical, tapered portion opposite the shank end to provide a pointed hook H as about to be described.

In forming the hook of the needle, the tapered portion is bent upon itself in the manner shown with the hook being substantially semi-circular. The needle so formed, in so far as the present invention is concerned is subjected to pressure by hammering, squeezing, rolling, pressing or chines utilizing the same, whereby the machines swaging h e to provide flattened parallel side faces [2 extending along the shank substantially to a region Hi just beyond the midpoint of the hook. In this manner, the needle illustrated herein is formed with a point section E5 of generally circular cross-section (Fig. 2 from the end of its point ['6 to the region I4 where the faces 52 commence (Fig. 1).

The point section it increases in diameter slightly as it approaches the region l4 due to the taper of the stock, but its maximum diametrical dimension does not exceed the width of the shank of the needle. The width of the needle in the regions in which the flattened side faces ii are located is substantially equal to the maximum diametrical dimension or the point section it, but this dimension does not exceed th width of the shank of the needle.

In carrying out the present invention, the stock is formed with a taper of such dimensions and shape so that the cross-sectional area of the hook about halfway between midpoint of the end and a point it at which the hook merges with the shank it (Fig. 3) is at least approximately of the hook portion adjacent the point the .j 2). Preferably, the cross-sectional area shown in '3 should also be at least approximately twice thator the transverse section at M.

In this manner, the section "of the hookbf increased cross sectional area from the midpoint of the bend to the shank end is extremely strong and is fully adapted to resist bending forces applied by yarn under high tension to the point section l5. This section of increased area is even more advantageously utilized by flattening the same to provide in eiiect a web-like structure which acts like the web "of a beam to resist bending 1" recs.

From the foregoing description, it will 'be seen that the present invention provides improved the high speed operation and elimination of down time of the machines, th machines can be operated at their full production capacity to produce fabric more economically.

While the improved needle has been illustrated in connection with a latch needle, "itwill i be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to other forms of hook needles for knitting machines.

As various changes may be made in "the form, construction and arrangement of the-parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine needle formed of metallic wire stock tapered at one end thereof, said needle comprising a shank, a pointed hook of progressively decreasing cross-sectional area from said shank towards its point formed by bending the tapered end of the stock upon itself, and flattened parallel side faces extending from said shanksub'stantially to a region adjacent the midpoint 0f the bend of said hook.

"2. A needle according to claim 1, wherein the Width of said hook and said shank in the region of said side faces is substantially equal to the Width of the hook portion adjacent the point thereof.

-3. .A needl'e according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional :area of said hook in a region between the midpoint of the bend of said hook and the portion of said hook adjacent said shank is approximately twice that of the hook portion adjacent the point thereof.

'4. .A knitting machine needle comprising shank and hook sections having :flat parallel side faces, and a point portion on said hook section having a substantially circular cross-section, the crossse'ctio'nal area of said :hook section decreasing progressively from said shank section to said point portion.

=5. A needle according to claim 4, wherein the width of the needle in the regions in which said. side faces are located is approximately equal to the diameter of said point portion.

6. A knitting machine needle comprising a shank, a latch, means for pivotall-y mounting said latchon-said-shank, a hook section formed with a point portion, and flat gparallel side faces extending from about said point portion to below said latch mounting means on said shank, the cross-sectional area in the bendof said hook section increasing progressively from about said point portion to said shank.

References Cited in the 'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date "71,039 Miller Nov. 19, 1867 1;032;B1'3 'Kornd'oerfer, Jr. July 16, 1912 11952366 Scott May 20, 1913 1248 020 S'C'Ott Nov. 27, 1917 1,297,428 Wilcom'b Mar. 18, 1919 13541098 Fls Sept. 28, 1920 $044,324 Page June 16,1936 2202945 'Broberg June 4, 1940 25683806 'Hen'ning Sept. 25, 1951 

